Marshall b



(No Model.)

M. B. STAFFORD.

VENTILATION. No. 266,546. Patented Oct. 24, 1882.

4o jects of the invention.

. UNTTED STATES PATIENT @E tcE.

MARSHALL B. STAFFORD, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

VENTILATION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,546, dated October 24, 1882.

Application filed July 1, 1882.

To all whom at may concern:

Be it known that I, MiinsnALL B. STAF- FORD, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Art of Ventilation, of which the following is a specification. reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

The invention relates to an improvement in ventilation; and it consists essentially in the novel means for ventilating cars, either for passengers or for the transportation of merchandise. By my invention I produce a vacuum which creates a current through the car, carrying off all foul air and keeping up a constant supply of fresh air.

The nature of my invention and the advantages to be derived from its use will be understood from the description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, representing a central vertical longitudinal section of a railroad'car to which my invention has been applied.

Referring to the drawing, A denotes the car, which is of the usual construction, having an inlet for air at B and supplied atsoine suitable 'point in the floor with the register 0, below which is placed a vacuum-box, D. This box consists of the vertical flue E and the horizontal draft-flue I extending outward at opposite sides from the flue E. Within the vacuum-box B are provided the inclined plates G, which enter at the upper opposite corners of thehorizontaldraft-flueF,and,extendingslantingly downward and inward, terminatingcentrally below the vertical flue E. The approaching ends of the inclined plates G may project beyond the side of the box D, so as to increase the surface against which the air strikes, which assists in the consummation of the ob- The two opposite ends of the box D are open, so as to permit the passage of the air through them. In the bottom of the box D, centrally below the flue E and the space between the inner ends of the inclined plates G, may, if preferred, be formed an opening, H, provided with a damper, I, though I am able to secure a good result when the said opening and damper are omitted. The damper I turns on a pivot, a, and only covers one-half of the opening H. The purpose of the opening H and the damper I will appear hereinafter. The register 0 will be (No model.)

adapted to be opened and closed at will. so as to regulate the draft of air through the car, according to the conditions of the weather and state of the atmosphere.

In the operation of the invention the inlet Bis opened, or any other inlet that may be provided, for the purpose of permitting the entrance of air, and the car setin motion. The movement of the car causes the air to strike forcibly against theinclined plateG atthc end of the vacuum-box I), pointing in the direction of the movement of the train, and when the air thus strikes the inclined plateG it is driven downward and passes out of the opposite end of the flue-box or escapes through the opening H. The movement of the air through the flue-box is in the nature of a blast caused by the rapidity of the moving train, and it is driven downward and away from the vertical flue F, forming a vacuum which the air in the car constantly seeks to fill. It will appear obvious, therefore, that while the car is in motion the blast through the flue-box will act upon the air in the flue F, as stated, whereby a fresh current of air is constantly kept moving through the car.

The operation of my device is positive, and there is no liability of its failing toaccomplish the purpose for which it is intended.

In cold weather, after the air in the car is pnritied,it may be desirable to cutoff the cur rent, in which event it will only be necessary to close the register 0.

By reason of the blast through the flue-box being driven forward, I accomplish not only the creation of the vacuum hereinbefore described, but also the important advantages of preventing dust and dirt from ascending through the register. By the peculiar construction of my device the dust and dirt are absolutely driven from the car and cannot under any possibility ascend through the fines into the car.

I am able to take the air which enters the car at any point, either at the front, rear, or sides; but I prefer to take it at the opposite end of the car to the direction in which it is moving.

The damper I is turned preferably to close that half of the opening H which is farthest from the end of the car moving in front. .I have found that by closing the half of the opening II opposite to the directionof the move- I of the air to the box and to the issuanceof the ment of the car I accomplish a better result than it the damper were otherwise turned. 1 have demonstrated, after careful experiment, that the vacuum-box D, if constructed in any other way than with the inclined plates G,will

not create a vacuum, without which the invention must prove a failure. For instance, if I had made the ends of the flue-boxin the shape of cones having inclined sides, top, and bottom, the result would bethatflnstead of creating a vacuum, the dust and dirt caused by the moving train would blow up through the tines and enter the car and failin accomplishing the purpose for which it was constructed.

The invention will admit of various modifications, which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates, and need not therefore be specifically mentioned herein.

The bottom of the vacuum-box D is flat or straight, as shown, whereby I secure results of a very substantial character. Heretofore, in vacuum-boxes employing inclined plates for the purpose of producing a vacuum, the bottom of the box has been concave, the efl'ect of which concavity has been found to impair the result sought to be accomplished by the box. The air, entering on one side of the box, taking a downward course, and then striking the upward cavity of the opposite side of the box, produces a reactionary ett'ect upon the entrance air from the apartment to be ventilated. The obstruction to the passage of. the air through the horizontal flue by the concave base or bottom has rendered the apparatus impracticable, and to correct this defect is one of the objects of the present application. The objections to the vacuum-boxes now in use, above set forth, I effectually overcome by the flat base or bottom of the vacuum-box which is the subject of this application.

What I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The vacuum-box herein described, consisting of the vertical flue,the horizontal flue,and the inclined plate or plates, the horizontal flue having aflat bottom,substantially as set forth.

2. The vacuum-box D, consisting of the vertical and horizontal flues and theinclined plate or plates G, the upper end of which projects outward beyond the box for the purpose of creating a large bearing-surface for the air, substantially as set forth.

3. The vacuum-box D, consisting of the horizontal and vertical lines, the plate or plates G,

and the damper, substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York this 29th day of June, 1882.

MARSHALL B. STAFFORD. Witnesses:

CHAS. O. GILL, HERMAN GUSTOW. 

